DISCOVERY OF A BODY.

Shannon News, 9 March 1923, Page 4

DISCOVERY OF A BODY.

TESTIMONY OF DOCTORS j AND POLICE. “X 'NEVER '. SAW: IT' 'AGAIN.” WELLINGTON, Last-Night. The- Newlands murderi trial, was i re* : sumed before Mr. E, Page, S.M., this-: [.morning.. Dr. B. E.' Wright, of Jrihnsonviile, said; that Cooper told him in October I last that-many young women-came to his house for confinement and thatthere was money in it for anyone who -would look after them. He saw Mar. ! garet McLeod at' the accused's; house j after the birth of the child and also saw* the child. The patient , appeared to have been neglected. He also saw Miss Lester at the accused's-house. Cooper stated. that women; came from. all parts of New Zealand to be cured of • women’s - troubles arid , that he had cured cases where the doctors had failed". Witness deposed that the found. the naked body of a baby in a hole on Cooper's property. The body was covered with clay and a kmiebone of one leg' was' exposed through the flesh, which was in an advanced state of decomposition*. The' ! body • weighed about four pounds;i but< the weight would decrease as decomposition ad. yanced. His conclusion from the prist, mortem was that: the child had lived for three days at least, probably more. The opening in* the ahdpmen indicated vfiolent; injury, eith-sr. antji or ppst-. mortem. There was no definite iiidi- , cation of the cause of death. Witness considered that the child' had" . lived about six days and had bieen juried about two months. The Cfowri Prosecutor: How could the injury have been - caused to the J abdomen and ! knee ? Witness: It is hard to say. Cpuld they have been caused in dig. •ging.vthd body out:? Oh, no, I don't think so. Dr. Hector concurred; with-the evidence of the previous witness and the opinion that some artificial injury Was . inflicted * either, before or after death. Detective Jarrold produced a spade found at Cooper’s place and* described the unearthing rif thei body.- The marks 1 found' in one part of the grave, he l said; corresponded l exactly- with the I points of the spade and apparently |

were‘made in [digging l the hole. Detective Jarroldi said' Mrs: Cooper re--fused torgive any- information: as to ■whejje the; McLeod- baby was to be found. In reply to questions,, she said she had nothing to say. When the male accused was asked to produce the baby, , he said it was impossible while he was in prison! He was told that 1 if he would give the information the i . police would endeavour to produce I it for him. When' both the accused were charged' with 1 the murder of "the McLeod* child* they l declined tb make 1 ■any statement; Except that, they were not* guilty. Inspector. Mcllveney,- in, charge of I

the Wellington' police district; gave | i evidence as to: the discovery of the j body. When the accused' were in. > formed of the' discovery, they declined to make a statement, except that they /.wanted, to see a. solicitor. Detective Lewis said Cooper made . a statement and said it' was. 39 years since lie had practiced ,as a health specialist at Dunedin, eventually re,, moving to Wellington. When told about the discovery of. the. child, he said, “I wonder what the meaning of that, is? I know nothing about it. If it'is the man Lupi who has done away with the child, I don’t know what to , say. It is possible when they come to' 1 a man’s house and do a thing like that, to go and bury a child and not give it decent burial.” An Island Bay fisherman, named Lupi, said he knew nothing of thechild and did not, bury the child on : Cooper’s premises. His child by >a J Miss Lester, was a male child. . Other detectives- gave evidence of clothing, etc., discovered at Cooper Is place at Newlands. There were no. records of the adoptions of the chjldren mentioned. Lilian Lester, from Dunedin, said Hu,go Lupi was ]the father of her child. After her confinement; Cooper : ' said he had arranged to have the ' child' adopted, but would not divulge the name. “ I kissed the baby,” said witness, “and never saw it again.". The case was then adjourned.